How to Choose a Contractor in Nigeria: 10 Questions to Ask Before You Sign

The contractor you choose decides whether your money becomes a building or a story. Yet most people pick contractors the way they pick a mechanic: by referral, price, and hope.

These ten questions turn hope into evidence. Ask them before you sign anything.

1. “Can I see your completed projects, in person?”

Photos are memories. Visit at least one completed project and, if possible, one under construction. A contractor with nothing to show is a contractor with nothing to lose.

2. “Are you registered, and are your professionals licensed?”

Contractors should hold a CAC registration. The people doing the actual design work must be registered professionals: architects with ARCON or NIA, engineers with COREN, surveyors with SURCON. Unlicensed “engineers” fail approval and design risk on your head.

3. “Will you quote against my Bill of Quantities?”

This is the single most revealing question in Nigerian construction. An honest contractor quotes against your BoQ, item by item. A contractor who refuses or quotes a lump sum “per project” is building padding into the number.

4. “What is excluded from your price?”

The gap between the quoted price and the final bill lives here. Ask specifically about: sand filling, formwork, scaffolding, plumbing and electrical fittings, fencing, and site clearing. Whatever is missing from the quote will arrive as an “extra.”

5. “How do payments work?”

The honest answer is milestone-based: defined stages, verified progress, documented releases. Large upfront payments (50% or more before work starts) are the strongest fraud signal in Nigerian construction.

6. “Who supervises the site, and who reports to me?”

Your contractor should accept independent supervision, not resist it. Ask who will be on site daily, how often you receive reports, and whether you can appoint your own supervisor. Contractors who fear supervision fear scrutiny.

7. “What materials, and whose brands?”

Brands matter: cement, rods, blocks, roofing sheets and fittings all have genuine and counterfeit versions in circulation. The contract should name brands, quantities (from the BoQ) and who pays if materials are rejected.

8. “What happens when the design changes?”

Changes happen. The contract should define the process: written variation orders, agreed prices, and no work without sign-off. Oral change approvals are how budgets die.

9. “What is your timeline, and what delays it?”

A realistic schedule includes rain, material price movement and approval delays. Be suspicious of perfect timelines. Ask what happens if the contractor misses milestones, and make the answer part of the contract.

10. “Can you work with my project manager?”

If you are building remotely, or simply want someone on your side, the contractor must accept a project manager or supervisor who answers to you. Independence here is not optional; it is the difference between supervised and unsupervised money.

Red Flags That End the Conversation

• No verifiable completed projects
• Refuses a written contract or milestone payments
• Demands 50%+ upfront
• Quotes without seeing your BoQ
• Names no brands or quantities
• Treats supervision as an insult

The Pattern That Protects You

The same pattern wins every time: BoQ first, quotes against it, milestones with verification, and independent supervision. Contractors who work this way are professionals. The rest are expensive hobbies.

Hire With Evidence, Not Hope

VETONGROUP prepares the documents that make contractor selection safe: Bills of Quantities, tender documents and milestone schedules. We also run project management and site supervision for clients who want an independent set of eyes on their contractor, from Edo State to nationwide.

Book a free consultation. Response within 24 business hours.